UN Delegates Reach Historic Agreement on High Seas Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity

After almost two decades of talks, UN member countries have finalized a text to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. The legal framework, referred to as the High Seas Treaty, is a victory for multilateralism and for global efforts to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health, now and for generations to come. The treaty would put more money into marine conservation and covers access to and use of marine genetic resources. It provides a legal framework for designating large-scale marine protected areas on the high seas, which are parts of